California, PA | Gen Z Is Making Owning Physical Media Trendy Again: Gen Z’s nostalgia and desire for true ownership is sparking a resurgence of owning physical media. When was the last time you picked up a DVD? What about a magazine, or a vinyl record? Just a year or two ago, I would expect most people’s answers to sound something along the lines of, “I can’t even remember.” However, driven by Gen Z nostalgia and the desire of true ownership, physical media is making a comeback. The convenience of streaming services can’t be argued; Netflix’s switch from DVD-by-mail service to streaming in 2007 changed the way many people view tv shows and movies forever. But the recent topic of conversation hasn’t been about convenience; people want a sense of true ownership, and the fulfillment of collecting again.
Houston, TX | 50-year-old record store closing its final location: A longtime destination for collectors and music fans is shutting down as streaming continues to reshape how music is discovered and consumed. …A long-standing Houston retailer has now joined the list of closures. Soundwaves, located at 3509 Montrose Blvd., is in the process of closing after five decades in business. Liquidation sales began on April 25, with all items discounted by 50% until closing, according to a post on its Instagram. By April 30, the store was listed as “permanently closed” on Google Maps, and its official website was no longer accessible, though liquidation sales are still ongoing, and its Instagram account remains active. Soundwaves became more than just a retail space; it was a cultural fixture.
Coeur d’Alene, ID | Terry and Deon Borchard closing music store after 41 years in Coeur d’Alene: Tad Mosher has been coming to The Long Ear in search of music for more than 30 years. “I love having the CD in my hand,” the Hayden man said Tuesday as he took a break from perusing the shelves. “That’s why I keep coming back. I’m not into downloading stuff.” The Long Ear, he said, has the work of artists he likes, including Adele and Judas Priest. The staff, as well, are knowledgeable and friendly. “It’s a great atmosphere here,” Mosher said. That’s why he was disappointed to learn the store that’s been a mainstay in Coeur d’Alene’s music scene for 41 years would be closing this summer. “I don’t know what I’ll do. I guess I’ll go online and buy CDs,” he said. Owners Terry and Deon Borchard wish it wasn’t so.
Athens, GA | Musical longevity in the Classic City: Wuxtry Records celebrates 50 years in Athens: It’s a story that Mark Methe recounts with ease. A moving truck, a new car and countless crates of records led to that March day in 1976 when Methe and his friend Dan Wall opened Wuxtry Records in Athens. A month prior, the two music lovers from the Midwest set out to open a record store down South through a process of trial-and-error. With years of experience working in record stores and a goal to open one, they passed on Morgantown, West Virginia and Knoxville, Tennessee in their tour of the region. Eventually, their oil-burning vehicle and a recommendation from a friend took them down Highway 441 and landed them in Athens. They secured a location in February, and by March, they were ready to come back down and open the store.
Bowling Green, OH | Finders Records founder finds new owner wanting to wax nostalgic: Finders Records has found a buyer—someone with a respect for nostalgia and an ability to keep the music playing at the downtown Bowling Green institution. When Greg Halamay opened the record shop in Bowling Green in 1971 it didn’t have a name. His friends offered several suggestions. “But I didn’t really care for any of them.” Then one day, he got a publication in the mail called “Find Catalog”—designed to help customers locate hard to find items. Halamay called the “Find” office in California and asked if he could use the name. “They were very congenial,” he said. Halamay settled on “Finders” and built the downtown store into an icon that drew customers from coast to coast. Over 52 years, he operated Finders Records which had grown into a must-visit shop for people in search of musical memories.
Damariscotta, ME | Pearl Records Brings Vinyl to Downtown Damariscotta: Some people walking down Main Street in the last few weeks might have asked themselves “Why is there a Sabrina Carpenter cutout in this empty storefront?” The answer is: a new record store is set to open in May on Main Street in Damariscotta. Pearl Records will bring a combination of new and old vinyl records to the storefront located at 93 Main St. Owner Sally Delaney said the store will also include stereo equipment, speakers, turntables, drum sticks, guitar strings, clearing products, and more. “I’m excited to bring something totally new,” Delaney said. The store will also have an artist corner for local musicians to perform, a section for kids, and plenty of local artwork, Delaney said.
Ithaca, NY | Angry Mom Records receives New York State Empire Award: Crate digging is alive and well at Ithaca’s Angry Mom Records. The record store received the New York State Empire Award on Monday, honoring its seventeen years of music curation, affordability, and community building among artists and listeners alike. The award recognizes businesses and organizations that demonstrate excellence while positively impacting their communities. George Johann, who founded the store in 2009, called Angry Mom a “central hub” of The Commons. He said affordability is a core principle of the store’s business model. “We have been able to evolve and expand our physical space, which now holds one of the area’s only all-age live music venues. We remain humble, but are also excited about what else we can accomplish in the coming years,” Johann said in a statement.
Leeds, UK | Big queues at Leeds record store as Mel C greets excited fans ahead of show: There were big cheers as Mel C arrived in Leeds today—greeting lucky fans ahead of her album launch show. The star is visiting the city to promote her new solo album, Sweat, which sees her move into high energy dance music with help from Rose Gray and Uffie. Before she found international fame with the Spice Girls, Mel was swept up in the UK’s burgeoning 90s rave scene—partying to the sounds of Prodigy and Grooverider. Her new solo album, released on Friday, is tipped as a love letter to her formative days—“an invitation to party, to find community on the dance floor and joy in a dark world.” Recorded between London, Stockholm and Sydney, Sweat fuses her past and present—the sport and the spice, the forgotten teenage raver and the accomplished DJ.
This new CD player could distract me from my vinyl obsession: Regular readers will probably know me as the one who got really into turntables recently; overhauling my home system (twice!) to make it vinyl-focused and running our annual Vinyl Week celebrations for the past few years. But my vinyl obsession is really rather recent; it was CDs that I grew up with. Apart from a handful of cassettes from my childhood, my teenage years were dominated by CDs as I graduated from boy bands and pop divas to alt-rock and rap metal, to indie-folk-punk and beyond… CDs were the cornerstone of my musical education and I would pore over the little booklets (with their artwork, lyrics, hidden messages) while listening to my favourite albums on repeat.
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